Vietnam’s parliament approved plans on Wednesday for an $8 billion rail link from its largest northern port city to the border with China, boosting links between the two communist-ruled countrie…
Investment
Investing in Southeast Asia’s future: sustainability trends shaping 2025
Climate change poses a material threat to assets worldwide, making it a critical concern for investors. Nowhere is this risk more acute than in Southeast Asia, where losses to the region’s GDP could b…
Three years on, RCEP sees significant progress in promoting regional open cooperation
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the free trade area with the biggest population, the largest trade scale and the greatest potential for development. Since the RCEP came into …
Investor sentiment likely to improve as Philippines is removed from ‘gray list’
THE PHILIPPINES’ exit from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “gray list” is seen to improve investor sentiment, but analysts noted that continued reforms are necessary to sustain progress. The …
US grants for two key Nepal infrastructure projects suspended after Trump order
Two major infrastructure projects in Nepal funded by the US have been put on hold after President Donald Trump suspended all foreign development assistance, a government official said on Thursday (Feb…
Malaysia’s economy ends 2024 on high note amid strong investment, domestic spending
Malaysia’s economy grew faster than expected in the fourth quarter of 2024 amid strong domestic demand and a recovery in exports, the central bank said on Friday, as it expects investment activi…
Malaysia’s Johor-Singapore SEZ gets US$150 million boost from Hong Kong battery maker
UOB Malaysia CEO Ng Wei Wei told the media that Asean was a bright spot for trade diversification in light of the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration and global uncertainties…
Vietnam’s high-stakes economic pivot
Despite the impact of super Typhoon Yagi and a stormy geopolitical landscape, Vietnam’s GDP grew by 7.09 per cent in 2024, exceeding international forecast figures. But 2024 was not just a reset for V…
Sri Lanka struggles to deliver a new era of post-crisis growth
Sri Lanka’s National People’s Power (NPP) government, led by the charismatic President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, entered office in late 2024 at a turning point in the country’s economic history. Sri L…
Six Months After the July Uprising, Bangladesh’s Democracy Lurches Forward
Six months after Bangladesh’s repressive Awami League (AL) government was overthrown in a student-led uprising, Bangladesh’s democratic reformation is entering a critical phase. The reform commissions…